Ultracold atomic gases hold unique promise for space science by capitalizing on quantum advantages and extended freefall, afforded in a microgravity environment, to enable next-generation precision sensors. Atom interferometers are a class of quantum sensors which can use freely falling gases of atoms cooled to sub-photon-recoil temperatures to provide unprecedented sensitivities to accelerations, rotations, and gravitational forces, and are currently being developed for space-based applications in gravitational, earth, and planetary sciences, as well as to search for subtle forces that could signify physics beyond General Relativity and the Standard Model. NASA's Cold Atom Lab (CAL) operates onboard the International Space Station as a multi-user facility for studies of ultracold atoms and to mature quantum technologies, including atom interferometry, in persistent microgravity. In this paper, we report on path-finding experiments utilizing ultracold
87Rb atoms in the CAL atom interferometer, which was enabled by an on-orbit upgrade of the CAL science module: A three-pulse Mach-Zehnder interferometer was studied to understand limitations from the influence of ISS vibrations. Additionally, Ramsey shear-wave interferometry was used to manifest interference patterns in a single run that were observable for over 150 ms free-expansion time. Finally, the CAL atom interferometer was used to remotely measure the photon recoil from the atom interferometer laser as a demonstration of the first quantum sensor using matter-wave interferometry in space.
Summary form only given. Bose Einstein condensates (BEC) opened the way for realization of atomic ensembles with Heisenberg limited uncertainty. In microgravity extremely dilute samples of BEC can be obtained and observed after a free evolution on timescales of seconds. Applications range from atom optics to matter wave interferometry. This has led us to realize a BEC of 10000 87Rb atoms in microgravity. The experimental results (to be published) establish the fact, that in a microgravity environment ultra-large condensates (Icircosl.5 mm) after a free evolution of 1 second can be observed. In particular, microgravity provides mass independent confining potential which is very important for the research on a mixture of quantum gases. We aim to realize a new setup for multispecies experiments, which can be used in catapult mode doubling the time for microgravity to 9 seconds. The experiment is planned to use87Rb and40K as degenerate Bose and Fermi gases respectively and can be used to carry out experiments on interferometry, Bose-Fermi mixtures and tests of the weak equivalence principle in quantum domain. Up to date progress and future prospects of this ambitious and technically challenging project will be presented.